Meet Your Select Board

Our roving reporter recently asked the same five questions of each member of our Select Board. Here's how they answered. 

Matthew S. Fish, Selectman (2024)


Matt FishWhat do you most enjoy about serving on the Select Board?
I like the ability to get things done and bring change citizens want. Having been on the planning board for 18 years which sits in a quasi judicial capacity, the select board is the executive branch of local government and you have the ability to lead and champion projects or ideas. Being a big Greek and classical history nerd, I have always been inspired by the basic foundations of our democracy, which is government by the people and for the people. I feel honored to be elected by my peers and I find participating in our local government rewarding through working towards something bigger than your self.

What's your dream job if you could pursue any career other than the one you have chosen, and why?
My dream job would be Secretary of State. I have always found traveling and meeting different people and cultures enriching and helpful in understanding common problems and the world as a whole. If I could make one suggestion to young people it is to travel and see the world. You learn a lot about many things seeing different countries, cultures, and people. I learned a lot when I worked overseas, and will always remember when someone told me not to view any particular issue, idea, or problem through the prism of your values or standards, because they may not be applicable.

Who would you want to play you in a movie about your life? What would the movie be titled?
That's a tough one, but I like dark humor and sarcasm. I don't have an actor who comes to mind but I have a distinct vision of my movie. It would be modeled on Mad Max Beyond Thunder Dome, where all municipal disputes and those between citizens are settled by mortal combat in a giant cage erected at the recycling center. Two people enter and one person leaves. And because I am a man of my word, if you have seen the movie.....break a deal...and spin the wheel....

What person (alive or dead) would you most like to meet, and why?
Toss up between Thomas Jefferson and Winston Churchill. Jefferson because he was so innovative and forward thinking. He contributed so much to the Constitution which is such an amazing product of many great thinkers, drawing upon so much history. Churchill because not only was he such a colorful character but he defines perseverance in the face of adversity. A true leader.

Tell us one thing that most people would be surprised to learn about you.
I lived a very different life than the one I do now. I lived in Belfast, Northern Island during the '70s and '80s, and then focused on international finance in Southeast Asia where I got to meet a lot of different people and see many different countries. Now I am a wedding farmer and live in a small town in the country. Wouldn't change it for the world.

D.J. Garcia, Selectman (2025)

DJ GarciaWhat are you most looking forward to in serving on the Select Board?
I hope to bring new ideas and energy to the Wilton Select Board. I would love if this translates into increased engagement with my neighbors and better outcomes for our businesses, schools and town services. I look forward to being an objective and realistic participant of the town’s government where all of Wilton’s citizens and employees can be heard and respected. I am also excited to look back in a year from now and see the progress that the Select Board has made with the efforts of myself and my fellow Selectmen.

What's your dream job if you could pursue any career other than the one you have chosen, and why?

 My dream job would be to accomplish the education requirements of a Juris Doctorate and be responsible for bringing a private company into the public markets. I have always been in awe of the market value and unbelievable size of a mega cap corporation such as Apple or Verizon. I began my educational journey due to this bewilderment and trying to understand how it’s even possible to grow to that scale. Being the business professional to accomplish such a feat would be extremely rewarding for me personally.

Who would you want to play you in a movie about your life? What would the movie be titled?

I would love to be depicted as Hugh Jackman - more like from Wolverine instead of The Greatest Showman. A muscular, handsome chap who is gruff and tough, but only on his bad side. The movie would be titled: Against All Odds. The reason is because I have always been handicapped or given less opportunity than others but I still always find a way to win.

What person (alive or dead) would you most like to meet, and why?

I would love to have a long conversation with Steve Jobs, founder of Apple. He was an obsessive visionary that found a way to disregard thousands of naysayers and ultimately created a dynamic and transformative company. Jobs and Apple essentially bootstrapped mobile technology with beautiful product design and aesthetics combined with performance.  He single handedly saved the music industry and created one of the most successful companies in America and perhaps the world. He was an impressive individual and my kind of person.

Tell us one thing that most people would be surprised to learn about you.

In a past life I was an aspiring musician that went to college for musical engineering and a member in various bands or groups. My contribution to these groups was vocals, songwriting and production. I believe I am a ‘good’ singer and there was a time I could write rap lyrics and perform them. I am basically a human jukebox and know the song lyrics to hundreds, if not thousands of songs from all genres and generations.


Kermit R. Williams, Chair (2023)

Kermit WilliamsWhat do you most enjoy about serving on the Select Board?
I like the intellectual stimulation of this job. The issues we deal with and the decisions we have to make are so varied. The subjects are often complex and nuanced. I think it’s important to understand each issue well, collect supporting data to make a decision, and be able to defend the choice I make. We work in so many different areas, from public safety to planning to paving to purchasing – and that’s just the Ps!

What is your dream job if you could pursue any career other than the one you have chosen, and why?
I would have enjoyed being a teacher, at either high school or college level. Besides the intellectual stimulation that I mentioned above, young people have so much curiosity and youthful exuberance. Being around them makes me feel younger, too, something I value more and more as time goes on, for some reason.

Who would you want to play you in a movie about your life? What would the movie be titled?
Maybe Tom Hanks, with a title of The Accidental Selectman. However, I wouldn’t want him on an island with a long beard talking to a soccer ball. That would be too close to home…

What person (alive or dead) would you most like to meet, and why?
There are many, many people that I would love to talk to in the world, so for this purpose I would pick a Wilton connection.  I would love to be able to talk to David A. Gregg. His father built the house I am living in, and his family owned it for many years. He built the library and the Masonic Temple, had a very successful business in Nashua, and retired in Wilton Center. He was a State Representative and Selectman while he lived in Wilton. The Greggs that descended from David included two New Hampshire governors, a U.S. Senator, and the founders of many successful organizations including New Hampshire Magazine and Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center. It would be fascinating to hear his thoughts about Wilton, then and now.

Tell us one thing that most people would be surprised to learn about you.
My career before politics was managing large teams of software engineers and related staff, as many as 200 at a time. I led projects developing engineering design tools that made hundreds of millions for my company. My teams were all around the world, and I would often spend weeks in China, Europe, Japan, Canada, California, or elsewhere, working with my staff and meeting customers. Now, I’m content to stay on Burns Hill Road with occasional trips to Concord.

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